Social Changes 

This period is marked by the rise and fall of more than thirty dynasties of varying scales. The yearning for relief from worldly suffering and hope for the future became the prevailing ideologies, accompanied by the rise of esotericism, the introduction of Buddhism, and the flourishing of Taoism. Consequently, these developments had a significant impact on the realm of art.

In art 

This era brought about a wider array of subject choices in painting and witnessed the evolution of many painting techniques. Artistic expression matured during this time, departing from the simple construction and basic coloring of the Han dynasty. Among the elites of society, many nobles became enthusiastic painters. Celebrated painters during this period included Cao Buxing and his apprentice Wei Xie, Gu Kaizhi, Dai Kui, Lu Tanwei, and Zhang Cengyao.

- Figurative painting became more sophisticated, placing greater emphasis on precise composition and conveying the subject's character through subtle details.

- Additionally, landscape painting started to flourish as an independent genre. Blue and Green landscape painting introduced the use of mineral dyes. However, artists began to pay more attention to composition and conveying a sense of depth in the scenery.

- While flower and bird painting still served a decorative purpose in artworks, it had yet to fully develop into a distinct and independent genre.